At 2:30 pm, on Friday, January 29, 2021, I became a COVD-19 statistic.

That day, my name was entered into two databases: New York State’s and the CDC’s national registry. The CDC tracks  individuals who have received one of the 29 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine administered across the U.S. since December 14, 2020. I count myself unbelievably lucky and grateful.

First of all, let me be frank. I’m acutely aware that I’m lucky on a host of fronts. First, I live in New York State – a state that’s been at the forefront of the urgent effort to coherently respond to the chaos of the Trump administration’s botched response to this once-in-a-lifetime national emergency. True to form, on January 12, 2021, New York’s Governor Andrew Cuomo, responding almost immediately to updated directives for vaccination eligibility prescribed by President Biden’s newly organized CDC, opened up the state’s vaccination distribution to New Yorkers aged 65 and over.

Being a New Yorker is just the beginning of my luck. I also count myself lucky because, unlike the majority of Americans in my demographic group of 65 and over, I was contacted by a tech-savvy friend who offered to help my spouse and myself lock in appointments on New York State’s COVID-19 online vaccination sign-up site. That friend, motivated by a well-founded sense of urgency and a desire to help not only my spouse and myself but also our community at large, was invaluable in our securing appointments. After some false starts, when tips about potential vaccination availability at two independent pharmacies didn’t pan out, our friend’s determination and around-the-clock monitoring of the state’s website enabled us to capture two of the 250,000 doses per week that New York State currently receives as its allotment from the federal government.

Forgive me if I repeat the word lucky yet again. But there’s no other way to describe the experience of moving swiftly from non-vaccinated to vaccinated status. I was lucky, too, to be vaccinated at one of the thirteen official New York State-operated vaccination sites. The site I visited is located at SUNY Albany, just a thirty-minute drive from my home. Contrary to the myth of government ineptitude versus private-sector competence, the state-run facility was extremely well organized, efficient, and surprisingly pleasant. But beyond the obvious organizational wizardry at the site, what I found most impressive were the staff – many of whom were state employees or private citizens who had generously volunteered their time and skills to help accomplish the complex and necessary task of vaccinating as many New Yorkers as possible. They, along with the medical personnel, exuded a palpable sense of common purpose and a quiet awareness of their participation in an historic moment.

A Quick and Efficient Process

Located in the university’s parking lot, the site looked less like an emergency-response facility and more like a touring tent show for Cirque du Soleil. Unlike in other states, there were no  lines snaking around the parking lot. Upon entering the first tent, future vaccinees were greeted by uniformed members of New York’s National Guard whose job was to confirm our appointments. Our temperatures were then monitored, after which we were ushered into the first of several interconnected, heated tents. A greeter directed each of us to the first of the four stations we would be required to visit.

At the first station, we were given a medical-history questionnaire. Yet another greeter’s job was to offer assistance answering questions and walk us over to a table where we filled out the three-page document. Upon completing the document, we were accompanied to the second station where a staff member asked each of us to confirm that we had not been exposed to anyone diagnosed with Covid-19 nor had we traveled outside of New York State. Finally, we were asked to sanitize our hands before being shown into the tent where we would receive our vaccinations.

The third station was located in the vaccination tent, which contained a multitude of cubicles curtained off for privacy. Inside sat three individuals: two whose job was to review the paperwork and solicit confirmation that the information visible on a computer screen was accurate. The third staff member was a friendly, chatty nurse who was there to administer the vaccine. A second supervising nurse was on call to confirm that vaccination was appropriate in circumstances where there might be any pre-existing medical conditions. Within five minutes, my Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine was quickly and painlessly administered, and a follow-up appointment twenty-one days later for the second vaccine confirmed.

Before leaving the cubicle, each vaccinee was given a time slip that indicated when they might leave the facility following a thirty-minute observation period. The fourth and final station was the observation area where not more than thirty, socially distanced individuals, including myself, sat, while waiting out our time. A nurse walked back and forth down the aisles, smiling and asking each of us how we were feeling. From start to finish, the process took just forty-five minutes.

Two Days Later

As I write this, it’s two days since I received my COVID vaccination. Once again, I have to acknowledge that I’ve been extremely lucky. Unlike some individuals, I have experienced no adverse reactions beyond a tolerable soreness on my upper arm at the point of vaccination,  which, as of now, has completely subsided.

The post My COVID-19 Vaccination: How it worked in New York State appeared first on Occasional Planet.

January 20^th is just nine days from the writing of this post. That day and the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris cannot come soon enough. A Democratically controlled Senate cannot come soon enough.

For now, however, take a deep breath. Try to stay calm and hope that the days between now and the inauguration won’t spew forth anything more shocking than what we’ve already experienced in the past four years. The list of shocks and insults to the American soul is long and shameful: The daily onslaught of self-serving lies that has cost America its reputation and Americans their lives and livelihoods. The lawlessness. The denials, institutional chaos, and irresponsibility in the face of a deadly pandemic. And, of course, the violent, tragically predictable result of the accumulation of all of those lies and deceptions on the never-to-be-forgotten storming on January 6 of the Capitol Building and the devastating loss of life on that day.

But the day before inauguration day, a less publicized, but equally important event, will take place. The January 19^th event is intended to begin a process to right the wrongs of the Trump administration’s depraved abdication of its solemn duty to recognize and remember those Americans who died of COVID-19 on their watch and to acknowledge the grief of their loved ones.

On January 19^th, at 5:30pm (ET), the Presidential Inaugural Committee will host a memorial for the 373,000 Americans who have lost their lives in the pandemic. In recognition of the need not just for a national memorial but also for individuals, families, and neighbors to remember together the lives lost closer to home in their own communities, the Inaugural Committee is inviting cities and towns and neighborhoods across the country to light up buildings and ring bells in “a moment of unity and remembrance.”

Here is how Presidential Inaugural Committee Communications Director Pili Tobar describes the event: “. . . in the midst of a pandemic – when so many Americans are grieving the loss of family, friends, and neighbors – it is important that we honor those who have died, reflect on what has been one of the more challenging periods in the nation’s history, and renew our commitment to coming together to end the pandemic and rebuild our nation.”

Presidential Inaugural Committee Announces Memorial and Nationwide Tribute to Remember and Honor the Lives Lost to COVID-19

01/05/2021

Today, the Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) announced that it will host a memorial to remember and honor the lives lost to COVID-19 in cities and towns across the country on January 19, 2021, at 5:30 p.m. ET. A Washington, D.C. ceremony will feature a lighting around the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. It will be the first-ever lighting around the Reflecting Pool to memorialize American lives lost.

PIC is inviting cities and towns around the country to join Washington, D.C. in illuminating buildings and ringing church bells at 5:30 p.m. ET in a national moment of unity and remembrance.

The post Biden announces Jan. 19, 2021 national memorial for COVID victims appeared first on Occasional Planet.

If you’re like me, sleep (or lack of) has taken on a whole new dimension now that we’re in the final sprint toward election day 2020. The routine goes something like this.

4 am: Startle awake with an unshakable four-year-old knot of dread. Open eyes and await adjustment to darkness. Reach for eyeglasses. Grasp for phone. Avoid knocking over water glass. Review New York Times and Washington Post headlines. Dip into Instagram. Engage in futile mental gymnastics to expel anxiety. Rummage around in the recesses of brain synapses to capture words to convey disgust, anger, and fear. Cancel failed brain synapses. Resign to the fact that words are wholly inadequate.

5 am: Stop reading news breaks. Put down the phone. Surrender to emotional exhaustion. Close eyes. Break out all idiosyncratic tricks to fall back asleep. Wake up at a reasonable time. Go about daily work and tasks while harboring dread about the next news cycle. Repeat the next day.

If you can relate to the above, you may want to watch an emotional video recently aired by Jimmy Kimmel. The video, produced by Kimmel and his wife, Molly, catalogues the struggles of their son, Billy Kimmel, who was born with congenital heart defects — a pre-existing condition that has required multiple surgeries. Kimmel, Molly, and their production crew have managed to find the images and the words that should – if Americans are paying attention and if enough of us still care about one another – move voters to vote with their hearts and save protections for the more than 100 million Americans with pre-existing conditions.

I’m pretty certain Kimmel’s video won’t derail my 4 am routine, but it sure gives me a glimmer of hope.

The post Vote with Your Heart appeared first on Occasional Planet.

The first of the much-anticipated three debates-that-aren’t-debates is now thankfully behind us. And make no mistake. The whole world was watching. The day-after reactions from allies and adversaries alike should render thoughtful Americans not only terrified and outraged but also more determined than ever to turn out the most massive vote in recent memory to oust a man and a party that have debased the presidency, the Constitution, and America’s standing in the world.

Here’s what the world is saying.

Britain

“This dark, horrifying, unwatchable fever dream will surely be the first line of America’s obituary.”

“A national humiliation.”

“The rest of the world – and future historians will presumably look at it and weep.”

India

“Never had American politics sunk so low.”

“U.S. embarrassed itself before the world for 100 minutes.”

France

“Chaotic, childish, grueling.”

Germany

“America sinks lower.”

“Clearest loser was America.

China

“The recession of U.S. national power.”

“ Division, anxiety of U.S. society and the accelerating loss of advantages of the U.S. political system.”

Spain

“Chaotic and virulent.”

Kenya

“This debate would be sheer comedy if it wasn’t such a pitiful and tragic advertisement for U.S. dysfunction.”

Australia

“America faces a dangerous several weeks.”

“A debate swamped by the rancor engulfing America.”

The post The whole world watched the Trump-Biden “debate.” And they were horrified. appeared first on Occasional Planet.

On March 28, 2020, from 8:30 to 9:30 pm, millions of people across the globe will be switching off their lights for one hour as a way to show support for saving the earth and advocating for a sustainable future. This year’s Earth Hour has a particular poignancy as it takes place during the height of the COVID-19 emergency that has awakened in all of us a renewed sense of global inter-connectedness.

Since 2012, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has been asking people around the world to turn off all non-essential lights for one hour during the month of March. This symbolic hour has grown to include participants in 7,000 cities, towns, and villages across 152 countries. This show of support is easy. Just switch off the lights and light up the candles.

What you can do during Earth Hour

• Be creative.
• Play a board game.
• Cook or bake your favorite food or dessert.
• Have a conversation.
• Watch live-streamed events on the WWF website.
• Sign the “Voice for the Planet” petition to let world leaders know that you demand urgent political action to combat climate change.

The post Earth Hour 2020 has special meaning as we face the COVID-19 pandemic appeared first on Occasional Planet.

As Democrats across the country anxiously awaited the results of Nevada’s 2020 primary, I ventured out on a warm Saturday in Upstate New York to attend the thirty-fifth town hall held by Democratic Congressman Antonio Delgado. Congressman Delgado represents my district, the 19^th congressional district, a geographic monster encompassing 11 counties and 163 towns. The town hall was held in the meeting room of one of the district’s volunteer fire departments. By the time I arrived, the parking lot was full. Cars and trucks were parked along the sides of the roadway, forcing people to inch their way along the county route as cars whizzed by.

There was an energy in the crowded room that surely had to do with the fact that we’re on the cusp of choosing a candidate to challenge Trump in the 2020 election. Town halls, like the one that day, are by far the best place to observe how elected officials connect (or don’t) with constituents and respond extemporaneously to questions on issues and legislation. Congressman Delgado did a great job. He seemed to enjoy connecting with constituents and responding to the challenge of explaining his positions.

Things weren’t always this way in the 19^th district. Anger, distrust, and divisiveness festered during the two years of one-term Republican Congressman John Faso’s tenure, due to his refusal to be held accountable in public forums by constituents who disagreed with his perspective on a range of topics.

In fact, Faso’s surprise defeat in 2018 most likely was the result of the breakdown of the constituent-representative relationship. Almost two years into Delgado’s term, town halls like the one I recently attended show that large numbers of voters continue to search for opportunities to gather together and discuss issues respectfully and thoughtfully.

Congressman Delgado began his remarks by reminding us of his success with introducing and co-sponsoring a slew of popular bills—four of which have been signed into law and nine of which have been passed by the House but are doomed to gather dust behind the wall erected by Republican Senate Majority Leader McConnell. Delgado then outlined his commitment to pursuing his job in Washington with a perspective “informed by constituents.” Explaining the challenge of that commitment and his goal of building consensus beyond party lines, Delgado reminded us that the district is evenly split into one-third Democrat, one-third Republican, and one-third Independent. In the congressman’s words, “Since two-thirds of constituents are not part of my party, I’ve got to think bigger than just my party.” Understandably, Delgado, who is African American, skipped over the fact that the 19^th district is nearly 90 percent white. I imagine that fact poses an additional challenge for a congressman who had to rise above a shameful campaign of racist innuendo in order to win his seat in 2018.

The surprise of the day was the absence of any references by the congressman or the audience to Trump, Mitch McConnell, impeachment, lawlessness, or any of the scandals du jour. I had expected more overt expressions of the anxiety most Democrats share about the prospect of four more years of Trump and Trumpism. The closest the discussion got to that thorny topic was a back and forth about the need to dismantle the electoral college and the fairness of having majority vote prevail. Not surprisingly, that was the topic that drew the loudest and most sustained applause. Beyond that, the concerns that audience members spoke to ranged from the hyper-local to the global: from the difficulties of apple farmers to hire enough seasonal migrant labor, to the efficacy of incarceration versus treatment to address the local opioid crisis, to bail and criminal-justice reform, to the health hazards and regulation of e-cigarettes, to Medicare and lowering the cost of prescription drugs, to veteran unemployment, to big banks and the Federal Reserve. Climate change was also on the agenda, as was a moving plea for the congressman to consider adding his name to a bill that would withhold federal funding until the Israeli government ceases the indefinite detention of Arab minors.

Just when it seemed that the town hall would draw to a close, the issue of a federal law requiring child vaccination was raised. That was the one issue that seemed to divide the audience. It quickly became obvious that anti-vaccination advocates had come to the meeting in large numbers specifically to impress upon the congressman their disagreement with mandated vaccination. Once the town hall was over, anti-vaccination advocates were stationed at the exit, handing out flyers that claimed to “provide the facts.”

I took the flyer to look at once I got home. It now sits on my desk. It’s there as a reminder that we will always have disagreements and differing points of view. The question is, can enough of us find a way—as Congressman Delgado has—to overcome our differences and build consensus? One way or another, we’ll know the answer in November.

The post NY congressman Antonio Delgado’s master class in how to connect with voters appeared first on Occasional Planet.

On March 1, 2020, New York State’s Bag Waste Reduction Law will go into effect. As of that date, all businesses collecting sales tax will be banned from handing out plastic carryout bags—with some exceptions, like produce bags for bulk purchases of fruits and vegetables and bags given out by pharmacies for prescriptions. This is a major step toward New York making good on its commitment to waste reduction. After all, New York State’s retailers currently hand out a mind-boggling 23 billion plastic carryout bags a year. As we all know, those bags don’t magically disappear. They end up in landfill where they take from ten to one hundred years to decompose. They end up littering streets and highways. Caught in the branches of trees, littering the landscape, and floating in waterways and oceans, they pose a serious hazard to wildlife.

Here’s the thing. This new paradigm calls for behavior modification and creative problem solving that calls on the adaptability of 19.54 million New Yorkers. Will this change prove to be too burdensome? Will New Yorkers pull their kids out of schools, quit their jobs, put their houses or apartments up for sale, and flee to more plastic-tolerant states? Probably not — even though they’d have the choice of resettling in one of the forty-two states that have yet to jump on the “ban” wagon.

Chances are New Yorkers are going to be just fine, just like their adaptable counterparts in California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Oregon, and Vermont. The truth is that New York’s food shoppers have been voluntarily making the switch on their own for a few years now. They’ve been showing up in increasing numbers in grocery stores with their own quirky collections of reusable bags. If the grocery store experience proves true for the rest of the retail economy, it’s safe to say that protests by consumers or producers demanding the restoration of our constitutional right to create plastic-bag waste will be few and far between.

Still, there may be challenges ahead when home stockpiles of plastic shopping bags disappear. Here are some not-so-serious ones I can think of.

• What will we use to pick up and dispose of various household menaces, like mouse carcasses, cockroaches, and stink bugs?
• How will we keep paint brushes from drying out?
• How will dog walkers tie their poop bags to fences?
• How will we keep fresh bread from tasting like onions stored in the refrigerator?
• How will we prevent clothing from getting soiled by sneakers in our gym bags or suitcases?
• How will we carry home our Chinese take-out?
• How will we clean out our cars?
• How can we be certain we’re in New York City if overflowing waste receptacles disappear?

The solution to some of these conundrums might be to use a paper bag. Under the new law, paper bags will still be available at retailers for a fee if a city or county decides to adopt a state-authorized, five-cent paper bag reduction fee. If, however, paper bags aren’t your thing, don’t worry, New Yorkers. We’ll adapt.

The post New York State bags plastic bags appeared first on Occasional Planet.

In the tiny village in New York’s Hudson Valley where I reside, there are 1,135 people. The Village of Kinderhook is just one municipality out of the 16,411 self-governing communities across the U.S. with less than 10,000 residents.

Like other small municipalities, the structure of government is straightforward: a mayor, four trustees, a code-enforcement officer, a village clerk, a deputy village clerk, a department of public works, planning and zoning boards, and a historic preservation commission. In 2014, New York State rolled out a Climate Smart Communities initiative to assist large and small communities in pursuing actions to minimize the risks of climate change, reduce greenhouse gases, and commit to building a resilient, low-emission future.

To the surprise of many residents, the village’s elected officials decided that, unlike some other nearby communities at the time, it was important for the village to participate in the state’s initiative. A small group of concerned and determined Kinderhook residents stepped up. They formed a volunteer task force that would help the village contribute to the state’s ambitious goals.

To date, Kinderhook counts itself as one of 285 New York State communities to have adopted the Climate Smart Communities pledge. Those communities represent more than 8.3 million people – or 43 percent of the state’s population.

Adopting a Climate Crisis Resolution

At the village’s February 2020 board meeting, following discussions about nuts-and-bolts issues like snow removal, stop signs, and building-code violations, Kinderhook’s elected officials went a step further.  They adopted a Climate Crisis Resolution.

Knowing all five of the individuals who took this vote, I imagine that they probably didn’t see their “yes” votes as a moment of personal courage. But I saw the vote in a different light. At this critical juncture, when the environmental policies of the federal government are being driven backwards in the most dangerous and destructive manner, five elected officials—with differing viewpoints on local issues and varying political affiliations—stepped up and voted unanimously and yes, courageously, to adopt a symbolic declaration acknowledging the global climate emergency. Residents in attendance raised no objections. The moment seemed almost offhand– like a foregone conclusion. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth.

If one were to look back at the arc of the four-decade-long struggle for consensus on the reality of the cause-and-effect relationship between carbon emissions and global climate change, nothing in this struggle for the future has been—or still is—a foregone conclusion. In some quarters, even acknowledging the problem is still a difficult political and philosophical road to travel.

The Village of Kinderhook is only the fourth governing body in New York State (New York City, the Town of Saugerties, and Ulster County) and the seventy-eighth governing body in the U.S. to have officially passed a declaration of climate emergency. The reality is that only eight percent of Americans live in a community that has affirmed the seriousness of the climate task we’re facing.

If it is true that recognizing a problem is the first step in solving it, then the record of the world beyond our borders is more reassuring than the current record of where Americans land on the issue of climate change. Across the globe, more than 1,300 governing bodies in 25 countries—representing 809 million people—have declared a climate emergency and dedicated themselves and their governments to climate mobilization and driving down emissions to protect humanity and the natural world. The Village of Kinderhook should take pride in being counted among them.

Village of Kinderhook’s 2020 Climate Crisis Resolution

Whereas, climate change poses a real and increasing threat to our community and our way of life.

Whereas, adoption of the New York State Climate Smart Communities Pledge included a commitment to engage in an ongoing process of climate action.

Whereas, the ability to access potential funding and other resources for rapid mobilization to mitigate climate change can result in economic, environmental, and social benefit to our community.

We therefore hereby declare that a state of climate emergency exists.

[Image: Governing bodies, worldwide, that have declared a Climate Emergency. Searchable image at https://www.theclimatemobilization.org/world-map]

The post Tiny New York Village joins worldwide Climate Mobilization, passes Climate Crisis Resolution appeared first on Occasional Planet.

Tired of screaming at the TV screen? Looking for a way to channel that anger as you watch the daily degradation of our democratic institutions? Fret no more. Indivisible is feeling your pain.  The committed folks over at this media-savvy grassroots organization are determined to do more than just scream, crawl under the covers, or binge-watch until 2024.

Thankfully, Indivisible isn’t showing any signs of defeatism. On the contrary, for those of us who see the danger to democracy of Trumpism and a complicit Republican Party, they’ve developed a bold plan to channel our anger and to step up and get involved. Ramping up its campaign for the 2020 election, Indivisible has come up with a bold, new initiative called the Payback Project. “Get angry. Then, get even.” That’s the call that organizers are betting will jump start a massive, grassroots effort to take back the Senate by holding nine key Republican senators accountable for their votes, their actions, and their enabling of Donald Trump. Payback, for Indivisible, means mustering activists in every state to help elect Democrats to take back the Senate.

Remember. In order to gain a majority in the Senate, Democrats will need to pick up only three or four seats (three if a Democrat replaces Mike Pence as vice-president). Indivisible’s list of targeted senators includes Martha McSally (Arizona), Cory Gardner (Colorado), David Perdue (Georgia), Joni Ernst (Iowa), Mitch McConnell (Kentucky), Susan Collins (Maine), Thom Tillis (North Carolina), Lindsay Graham (South Carolina), and John Cornyn (Texas).

Indivisible has a four-point plan for winning this fight. Here’s their game plan.

Build Awareness & Accountability

When senators take bad votes or do something else awful, we’ll be in their states to broadcast it and hold them accountable for refusing to listen to constituents. And we’ll keep reminding voters of their stances on the Affordable Care Act, abortion bans, climate change, and all our other top issues.

Boost Local Political Power

We’ll do the work to get as many people involved in the election as possible, educating folks about what’s at stake, growing the size of our local Indivisible groups, funneling voters in these nine states directly to their local Indivisible group, and increasing logistical support for their election activities and recruitment efforts through trainings, organizer support, and powerful new tools.

Organize to Win

Our nationwide network of organizers will work directly with groups on the ground to leverage their power with voters, the candidates, and the media to build support for strong progressive challengers.

Get Out the Vote

We’ll run a robust GOTV campaign to turn as many people as possible out to the polls. Remember — these senators thrive on disenfranchisement, so it’s our job to make sure voters show up to kick them out.

To get involved, go to https://www.paybackproject.org/#home-plan

The post Indivisible launches “The Payback Project” appeared first on Occasional Planet.

Here’s a riddle. How many economists does it take to sound the alarm on the need for immediate action to address global climate change?  If you guessed 3,558, you’d be on the money. That’s the total number of American economists, plus four former chairs of the Federal Reserve, plus twenty-seven Nobel Laureates, plus fifteen former chairs of the Council of Economic Advisers, plus two former treasury secretaries—all of whom signed onto a statement explaining the rock-solid case for passing legislation to establish a carbon tax and dividends. Some of the most recognizable among the group include Alan Greenspan, George Schultz, Ben Bernanke, Lawrence Summers, Paul Volcker, and, my personal favorite, Janet Yellen. [Read the complete roster here.] Their declaration was published just over a year ago in The Wall Street Journal. Of course, America still isn’t listening. Acknowledging the importance of this overwhelming consensus on the part of the most accomplished American minds in the field of economics, the Climate Leadership Council called this urgent message “the largest public statement of economists in history.”

What Is a Carbon Tax?

Basically, a carbon tax is a fee on the burning of carbon-based fuels—or greenhouse gases—like oil, gas, and coal. A carbon tax represents a method by which the users of carbon fuels pay for the damage caused to the climate by the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. A carbon tax, according to economists and scientists, is probably the single most effective tool in the toolbox to eliminate the use of carbon-based fuels. How the tax works is simple. The tax creates a strong monetary disincentive to the continued use of carbon-based fuels as a result of higher costs. These higher costs motivate a switch to clean energy by making non-carbon fuels and energy efficiency more cost competitive.

Has Any Community in the U.S. Passed a Carbon Tax?

Boulder, Colorado, became the first city to pass a voter-approved carbon tax in 2007. Boulder’s carbon tax is based on the number of kilowatt-hours used in the generation of electricity.  According to Boulder officials, the carbon tax has reduced emissions by more than 100,000 tons a year and generated up to $1.8 million in revenue per year at a modest cost to residential and commercial users. The funds are funneled through the city’s Office of Environmental Affairs and pay for implementation of the Boulder Climate Action, which includes rebates on energy-efficient equipment, expansion of bike lanes, and funding for community-based solutions to reduce energy consumption.

Is There Any Action on a Carbon Tax from the Federal Government?

The answer, unfortunately, is not much, even though public calls for federal climate action—including a price on carbon—from private citizens and environmental groups, as well as businesses in the energy, food, and transport sectors, have grown louder. Over the past few years, discussions in Congress about a federal carbon-tax proposal have repeatedly been floated only to fade away. The political will simply isn’t there.

With a Republican president in the White House and a Republican majority in the Senate, discussion of any new tax isn’t going to see the light of day. However, even though the most vociferous climate-change deniers occupy the Republican side of the two chambers of Congress, in 2019 carbon-tax bills have been introduced by both Republicans and Democrats in the House and Senate. Carbon-tax bills introduced by Senator Christopher Coons (D-DE), Representative Dan Lipinski (D-IL), and Representative Francis Rooney (R-FL) have proposed using the tax-generated revenue for measures as varied as payroll tax cuts, investments in innovation and infrastructure, and carbon dividends (or equal lump-sum rebates to all U.S. citizens, as proposed by the economists’ statement).

No riddle here. From a climate as well as a social-justice and economic perspective, those benefits sound like a win-win if ever there was one.

Economists’ Statement on Carbon Dividends

Global climate change is a serious problem calling for immediate national action. Guided by sound economic principles, we are united in the following policy recommendations.

1. A carbon tax offers the most cost-effective lever to reduce carbon emissions at the scale and speed that is necessary. By correcting a well-known market failure, a carbon tax will send a powerful price signal that harnesses the invisible hand of the marketplace to steer economic actors towards a low-carbon future.
2. A carbon tax should increase every year until emissions reductions goals are met and be revenue neutral to avoid debates over the size of government. A consistently rising carbon price will encourage technological innovation and large-scale infrastructure development. It will also accelerate the diffusion of carbon-efficient goods and services.

III.        A sufficiently robust and gradually rising carbon tax will replace the need for various carbon regulations that are less efficient. Substituting a price signal for cumbersome regulations will promote economic growth and provide the regulatory certainty companies need for long- term investment in clean-energy alternatives.

1. To prevent carbon leakage and to protect U.S. competitiveness, a border carbon adjustment system should be established. This system would enhance the competitiveness of American firms that are more energy-efficient than their global competitors. It would also create an incentive for other nations to adopt similar carbon pricing.
2. To maximize the fairness and political viability of a rising carbon tax, all the revenue should be returned directly to U.S. citizens through equal lump-sum rebates. The majority of American families, including the most vulnerable, will benefit financially by receiving more in “carbon dividends” than they pay in increased energy prices.

The post 3,500 economists call for carbon tax/carbon dividend. America isn’t listening. appeared first on Occasional Planet.